Bosch GLM 100 C Laser Measurer

Why make sketches when you can measure with a laser and send the dimensions to a photo on your phone?

The GLM 100 C has all of the usual functionality of a high-end laser distance measurer (LDM) plus something entirely new, Bluetooth connectivity to a free measurement app on a smartphone or tablet (Apple iOS or Android). It allows you to photograph a room or opening with the phone, measure that room or opening with the LDM, and then wirelessly transfer the dimensions to the phone or tablet.

You tell the app what to do with the dimensions; it can place them on a list or use them to annotate the photo. The photo option is particularly cool because it’s a way to automate a task tradesmen have performed since tradesmen existed—measure things by hand and write the dimensions on a sketch. The old way still works but the new way is faster and more accurate. Once the dimensions are in the phone you can email the dimensioned photo to a customer, supplier, or architect—or go to the cut station and read the dimensions off the screen of your phone.

When used without the app the GLM 100 C is a full-featured LDM. It has an inclinometer for measuring angles and grades, memory to store 50 measurements, and functions for measuring distance, area, and volume. The device has a range of 330 feet and is accurate to within 1/16 inch. It is manufactured in Malaysia and sells for about $300.

See the video below for a demonstration of how the LDM and app work together.